LATE TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1611, 14 January 1903, Page 34

LATE TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

MASTERTON, January 12. The Masterton Borough Council intends to secure the services of Mr Nelson, an expert recently from Home, and iioav in tlio employ of Messrs Burt and Co., Dunedin, for a report upon the question of generating electricity for Masterton.

BLENHEIM, January 12. The High School Board to-day considered the department’s new regulations offering capitation for free secondary education. It AA’as decided to advertise Avith the object of ascertaining the probable number of pupils that Avould take advantage of the scheme. If the strain on the accommodation of tho school and the teaching staff Avill not bo too great the scheme will be brought into operation next month. During the next feAV months about 195,000 acres of lands will be opened for selection in the Marlborough district. Tho land is a rough pastoral character, and will he made up of not more than eight or nine big sheep runs. Harvesting operations are being carried out under fine conditions, and tho returns are good.

WANGANUI. January 12

A fatal accident occurred in the vicinity of Fordell on Sunday last. A young man named Redmond Cripps, avlio resided on his parents' farm, went out pig-hunting. He had occasion to lean liis gun against a fence and Avhile standing by it a dog ran out and caused the gun to slip and explode. The charge caught the unfortunate young felloAV full in the face, killing him instantly. An inquest Avas held yesterday. A vedict of accidental death Avas returned by the jury. TIMARU, January 12.

Whilst at work on Saturday afternoon, a tail or ess in the employ of Messrs Bah lantyne and Co. was struck by a flash of lightning, Avliich paralysed her right arm and smashed the Avindow of the room in which she Avas Avorking. CHRISTCHURCH, January 12.

Ellen Fitzgibbon, a married woman, residing at North Coburn, Avas throAvn out of a trap last Tuesday, and suffered injuries to her spine, to Avhich she succumbed to-day.

A deputation, headed by the Mayor, AA r aited on the Minister of Public Works this evening to ask what steps were being taken AA T ith regard to obtaining engineers from abroad to report on the possibility of obtaining power from the NeAV Zealand rivers. Mr Hall-Jones replied that the Agent-General and v a .prominent American engineer had each been asked to select a suitable man, and he promised to do his best to expedite the matter. He said lie thought the colony should hear the aaJiolc cost. Elizabeth Curran, wife of the licensee of the West Oxford Hotel, Avas found dead in- the kitchen on Saturday night. ASHBURTON, January 12.

Information Avas received this morning that the homestead at the Chatmoss Estate Avas totally destroyed by fire last evening. The homestead bebelongs to the Rhodes Trustees. Some furniture Avas saved, also a valuable piano. The cause of the fire is unknoAvn.

The Primitive Methodist Conference at to-day’s sitting decided to receive the Rev. G. W. Smailes, an ex-member of the New South Wales Legislature, in the ministry of the church. Arrangements were made for the Rev. T. A. Guttery, the foremost pulpit and platform orator of the connexion in England, to visit New Zealand. Mr Goldie, of Auckland, and Mr W. King, of Dunedin, each promised £25 towards the expenses of the visit. DUNEDIN, January r^. At a meeting of the Dunedin Cycling Club it was decided to accept an offer to hold the championship meeting m Dunedin, and the 21st March was decided on as the date. A donation of a hundred guineas t-o the University Debt Extinction Ffund has been received from Mr Bullen, of Ivaikoura. Eliza Metcalfe and Esther Saunders were committed for trial to-day on a charge of alleged illegal operation on a young woman.